


Undertale: Pacifism Active

by GarbzLarbzTheBoi



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Comedy, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Light Angst, Multi, Reader is Frisk (Undertale) (kinda), Reader is Written Female, Reader-Insert, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:13:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24765979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GarbzLarbzTheBoi/pseuds/GarbzLarbzTheBoi
Summary: This is a classic retelling of the Undertale: Pacifist Run... with some slight modifications. In this AU of sorts, you're taking the role of Frisk. However, you have a very happy childhood. You're currently a teenager in the local high school. While you do live at the Ebott Orphanage, you had a happy life there. Your caretakers were kind, considerate, and understanding. You had friends both in and out of school. You had parties, sleepovers, got into trouble, got out of trouble, and overall lives with contentedness in your SOUL. But one day, on a hiking trip with your best friends on Mt. Ebott, you trip on a root and fall. That's when things get noticeably weird. And they keep getting weirder.
Relationships: Grillby (Undertale) & Reader, Grillby (Undertale)/Reader, Sans & Toriel (Undertale), Sans/Toriel (Undertale)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 56





	1. CH 1: THE FALL

**Author's Note:**

> (Bolded) > Text. = Menu Text/Interactive Text  
> (Italicized) Text. = Inner Thoughts  
> “(Bolded or Italicized) Text.” = Your/Frisk’s Dialogue  
> [ (Bolded or Italicized) Text. ] = Monster Dialogue  
> ‘(Bolded or Italicized) Text.’ = Sign Language

Slipping.

That's all you can remember.

Slipping, and falling, and... and...

You wince at the inevitable thought. You should be dead. You should be a bloody mess, smashed to pieces. But you're not. You're comfortably laying on a bed of flowers.

A sharp pain on your left side makes you retract the 'comfortably' part.

All you can feel is a stabbing, throbbing, burning pain in your side. Yet something compels you to get up. And so, you do. Or at least you try. Your feeble and weak attempts to stand end up failing, so you resign to holding your hand over your now warm and wet side. Blood. That's expected. You did just fall God knows how many feet into a mountain. Maybe if you call out now you can get help.

_Wait… who would hear me…? FRED!_

As you remember your hiking buddies, you shout out a name. It’s familiar enough to be considered second nature.

“FREEEEEEEEEEED!!!”

Your cry for help reverberates throughout the cavern, bouncing off of the walls and ceiling, as if mocking you with your own echo. Stalactites on the rocky ceiling of the cave tremble with your voice, sending small drops of carbonic acid and water dripping down. The droplets land on your face, mixing with newly formed tears that grace your cheeks.

“FRED!! MAYA!! ANYONE!!! SOMEONE PLEASE HEEEELP!!!”

**> You cry out into the darkness…  
> But nobody came…**

The message pops out in front of your eyes. Or does it? You don’t exactly know. All you know is that you indeed did cry out into the darkness… and that, in fact, nobody came. The small streams of tears once gracing your cheeks soon turn into flooded rivers as you bawl your eyes out.

_Nobody… nobody can hear me… I’m alone…_

You cry to yourself for minutes, which turns into hours. Hot tears streak down your face, leaving clean spots of skin where the dirt kicked up from your impact with the flowerbed was eroded. Finally, you stop. Not from mustering up courage, but from simply being left with no other options. You need to find shelter and food eventually. Your stomach’s growls of need and discomfort remind you of that.

You clench your leg muscles and slowly stand, gritting your teeth in pain. It hurts like hell. But you remember that you have something. Once you lean yourself against a rather large and sturdy stalagmite, you carefully lift your bloodstained sweater, revealing angry red and bleeding flesh. The cut isn’t too long, but its sheer width and openness more than makes up for that. You hold the sweater up with your teeth as you fish up a roll of bandages and some medical tape from your back pocket. The process is slow and arduous, but it works. Once the wound has been closed, cleaned by some cotton that came with the bandages, and bandaged shut, relief washes over you. You’re already starting to feel better.

**> You applied the Bandages. Still gooey, but not unused anymore. HP restored.**

_HP? What in the…?_

As you start to feel the pain wash away, which is strange enough as it is, your general health improves as well. Your sweat and exhaustion simply fade away, as if they had never been there. You’re able to stand taller and stronger, ceasing the slouch caused by the pain. Even your ankle, which had nicked and scraped a few rocks and stalagmites, was mostly healed over. The cut is still hurting, just nearly not as much as before. It’s now a dull and pulsing ache, making it uncomfortable to move much. You smile slightly as you flex your hands and arms. You’re revitalized.

“Maybe this ain’t so baAAA-!”

Of course you trip. Mid-sentence, you had begun to walk back to the flowerbed. In those short steps, you somehow managed to catch the toes of your shoe on a crack in the ground. You twist your body, landing on your right. As you fall, a distinct black box appears for a moment. You can only catch a glimpse of what’s there before you thud to the ground.

“Owww…”

You check yourself over, making sure you didn’t just use all of your bandages for nothing.

_Phew. I’m not hurt… much._

A dull ache in your shoulder is the extent of the damage done. Now back to that box. The box that was no longer there.

“Fuck.”

You stand there, a bit confused and dumbfounded, but also curious. As you go over what just happened, you remember that your left hand had been sticking out. Only when you started to fall had the box shown up. Maybe if you…

You swipe your left arm down in a lazy chopping motion, your hand made to imitate wiping a surface with two fingers. Then, the box appears again.

 **> ****❤** **ITEM  
>** **STAT  
> **

_Item? Stat? And why was… why **is** there an empty space?_

You shake your head, not knowing what to make of it. So, you ignore it for now. As you focus on the rest of the cavern, the black box disappears.

_Convenient._

You look towards the only hallway – or caveway – in the cavern. As scary and as ominous as it looks, you don’t have many other options. That is… unless those little yellow flowers are edible. You move over to the bed of them, leaning close.

**> Do NOT eat those flowers.**

Guess not. There’s only grass and vegetation in the area surrounding ground zero of your nuke of a fall. Safe to assume any moisture in here is just humidity collecting over time. Not much else can be said, seen, or noted about this place. Just a large cavern. Maybe… sixty feet wide and a hundred feet long? The ceiling is very high, almost a full three hundred feet up it looks like. It’d be hard to survive just in here. Unless you get a lucky streak of rain and that lucky streak keeps up, you’re dead from dehydration in a week. At the latest.

You sigh, once more looking to the creepy caveway. Well. Into the unknown. You take small steps, making little to no noise with your feet. Your boots make it hard, but you’ll manage. It’s nothing louder than a small and quiet thud. As you descend further into the tunnel, you spy something against the wall. It’s too dark to see clearly, but it looks like a doorway.

You approach the seemingly-doorway and rest a hand on it. It’s smooth in most places yet has cracks all along the stone frame. The arch is high, almost out of reach. Big things walked through here. The stony surface of the doorframe is cool to the touch, cold even.

“Why do I have a bad feeling about this…”

You step forward, stepping into the room that the doorway merges into. The room is completely shrouded in darkness, save for a bright green patch of grass surrounded by the stony floor, which is illuminated by the setting sun via a crack in the ceiling. The grass, which is shrouded in the orange light of the sunset is almost… menacing.

“It’s already sundown. They’re long gone by now… Good. They should be getting help, not wasting their effort looking for me by themselves.”

It’s a vocal plea of hope. Not a rational thought, but a desperate line of dialogue meant to make you feel better. It doesn’t. You step forward, your boots’ small thuds echoing and playing back at you, as if someone else is in the room with you. The feeling that you’re being watched doesn’t help either. You slow to a stop in front of the grass. You can’t shake the creeping chills that go down your spine and shock your nerves. They say the human body can tell when it’s being watched. And to you, there _must_ be a pair of eyes on you.

“H-Hello? Is anyone there?”

**> You call out to anybody in the room.  
> No answer is given…**

_‘No answer is given’…? What’s that supposed to mean? Earlier it said, ‘But nobody came’. Unless…_

Your face pales at the realization. Someone – or more realistically some _thing_ – is here, in the darkness, waiting for you. And somehow, whatever is giving you these messages knows this. Your feet freeze in their place. You can feel a gaze falling on you from everywhere and nowhere all at once. Your blood runs like ice, chilling your whole body. You start to panic. Sweat beads at your forehead and falls. Your eyes dart around the room, trying to find someone, something, anything. Your breathing picks up, turning shallow and quick.

_Where? Where are they? What are they? Why me? What do they want? Why do they want it?_

Your legs shake, as does the rest of your body. The grass under your feet feels itchy, even through your boots. Your sweater clings to your side where the blood is soaked into it, staining the left edge of your belly, hip, and the right edge of your back a deep reddish-brown color. It feels cold, as does the rest of your body. Finally, you hear movement. It’s nothing more than a little click of a small rock turning over, but it’s enough to quiet the blood pounding your ears. You take off running. But…

Something catches your leg…

You get sent down face-first, landing on your arms as they stretch out to break your fall.

The vine’s grip tightens around your leg, stabbing and cutting you with small thorns. Whatever is on the other end on this vine is pulling, and they’re pulling hard.

Then, as you blink out the pain in your arm, a high-pitched voice full of malic and sadistic joy fills your ears and the room.

[ Howdy… I’m FLOWEY… FLOWEY the FLOWER… ]


	2. CH 2: FIRST ENCOUNTERS OF TWO KINDS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Bolded) > Text. = Menu Text/Interactive Text  
> (Italicized) Text. = Inner Thoughts  
> “(Bolded or Italicized) Text.” = Your/Frisk’s Dialogue  
> [ (Bolded or Italicized) Text. ] = Monster Dialogue  
> ‘(Bolded or Italicized) Text.’ = Sign Language

[ Howdy… I’m FLOWEY… FLOWEY the FLOWER… ]

The voice is childish, as if they’re having fun. The vine’s grip only gets tighter around your leg, prompting you to weakly cry out in pain. You’re dragged backwards, slowly sliding feet first towards something. The voice came from low to the ground. It couldn’t actually be… no, it couldn’t. You flip yourself onto your back as you’re being dragged.

They really are… a flower.

An inverted daisy, with six large yellow petals and a white center, looks at you with a menacing smile. Your rationality is telling you to not be scared of a barely-foot-tall flower, but something about that smile… it chills your SOUL to its very core.

[ Hee hee hee… ]

The laugh only makes you more scared. Unlike a normal childish giggle, this laugh practically forces thoughts of pain and suffering into your brain.

[ Hmmm… ]  
[ You’re new to the UNDERGROUND, aren’tcha? ]

Ignoring the fact that you see each line of dialogue separately and one after the other, the tone of Flowey’s voice is terrifying. It implies that being ‘new to the UNDERGROUND’ is usually a short-lived trait.

[ Golly, you must be so confused. ]

You want to scream out, you want to struggle, but Flowey’s piercing gaze is too forceful. It pins you to the ground, stealing your voice and will to move.

[ Someone ought to teach you how things work around here! ]

Then, it snaps. The metaphorical hold Flowey’s gaze is broken by your instinct. Their voice had only grown in malice, causing your lizard-brain’s Fight or Flight to trigger. You try to jerk your leg back in an attempt to break the vines, but the thorns only rake down your leg, stopping a few inches above your ankle.

“GAAAAAAHHH!!”

You scream out in pain, feeling blood drip down your now cut-up calf and shin.

[ Oh, gosh! I’m so sorry about that! ]

It’s said with obvious sarcasm and joy.

[ Why don’t I just… ]

Flowey tightens the vines, making it almost impossible to move or struggle with that leg. So much for trying to wiggle free.

[ Now, where was I… ]  
[ Oh yeah! ]

Flowey gazes down at you, causing the world around you to flash in and out of complete blackness.

[ I guess little old me will have to do. ]  
[ Ready? Too bad. ]

Your world plunges into darkness as a red heart floats out of your body. It stabilizes itself in front of you, stopping a few feet to your front as a collection of white figures enter your vision. They fade in from the darkness, focusing slowly.

[ See that heart? That is your SOUL, the very culmination of your being! ]

Flowey’s voice rings out from his now pure white body. It’s floating above a white box, which is now containing your SOUL. There’s some text below the box, but you’re too panicked to read it properly.

[ Your SOUL starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV ]  
[ Too bad you won’t live long enough to find out what that is… ]

Hundreds of little white bullets start to surround the heart. You realize that you’re able to will the heart to move. This realization comes to you in the form of the heart spazzing about, moving at a shockingly quick pace.

[ _In this world, it’s kill or BE killed. What other way would it work?_ ]

You try to scream out for help. But you soon realize that you’re not making any noise. You can’t. Your vocal cords just feel frozen. You can’t ACT. You glance up to Flowey and your entire body freezes. Not like you were moving much anyways. Their once sadistic grin has now morphed into a gruesome and grotesque Cheshire smile. Their eyes were sunken; their brow furrowed, making them look like they were looking down on you, almost pitying you for the feeble existence you had dare lived until this point.

[ DIE. ]

A grating laugh, almost a giggle, rang out in your ears as bullets started to collide with the heart, sending waves of pain shocking through your body. You could read the bottom text more clearly now. Even through the pain, it was like your eyes were drawn to the text, focusing on it without a second thought.

It showed many things. One was a few symbols that read: LV 1. From most videogames you’ve played, LV stood for levels. Or it at least indicated what level you’re on. But Flowey had stated that you could gain ‘a lot of LV’, like it was a resource they were familiar with. Something told you LV wasn’t as simple as you thought.

The next string of text was different. It showed a few more symbols. There were two letters next to each other, reading: HP, a yellow and red box, which was slowly filling in more with red in intervals. It seemed that the more bullets that hit you, the more the red replaced the yellow. To the right of the box, there was a ratio. It was slowly getting smaller. 10/20… 7/20… 4/20… 1/20…

1/20…

You have 1 HP left. The bullets had stopped. You look up, foolishly expecting MERCY. But what you got was an insane, wide, and sadistic grin looking at you with joy.

Then, the bullets started to close in.

You wince your head back, waiting for death. Waiting for that fateful moment when you would die. You could see that your body (or your hands and legs, at the very least) had been covered in bruises and cuts. The bullets harmed not only your SOUL, but your body. You laugh to yourself.

_I knew I was going to die. Why think otherwise?_

You see the final ring of bullets barely reaching the heart, waiting for the shock of pain before the feeling of release from this mortal plane.

But you don’t feel pain.

You feel… relief.

Physical relief as the pain and damage to your body get stripped away. You look to your HP.

It’s full.

The box was now fully yellow, and the ratio on the side was a full 20/20. You look up to Flowey, who was just as confused as you are. Suddenly a pure white fireball appears and beans Flowey in the face, causing them to release a cry of pain. They slink into the ground, with a surprised and fearful expression on their face.

[MY CHILD!!!]

You turn your head as the world fades into its normal color. You see a fairly tall woman. A fairly tall goat woman. One with horns and floppy ears and a round snout. Her bare feet are exposed and patting against the stone floor of the cave, her robe swaying as she runs over.

[ My child! Are you alright? Such a rotten creature, torturing such a poor, innocent… ]

She pauses and looks you up and down.

[ … young adult. ]

You look back up at her, shaking from fear, adrenaline, and disbelief. You got saved? You got saved. But why? How? What was that fireball? And, most importantly…

_Why did she call me her child?_

[ Apologies for the rather crass introduction, my child. ]

She bows, slightly curtsying.

[ I am TORIEL, caretaker of the RUINS. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. ]

You slowly rise from your place on the ground, brushing your outfit off. You realize that your sweater is bloodstained, your jean shorts are cut up, your leggings are torn in many places, and your boots are scuffed. Toriel seems to notice this as well, because as her eyes widen, she speaks.

[ We… should probably get you cleaned up, huh? ]  
[ I’ll guide you through the catacombs, my child. I hope you don’t mind my rather barren home. ]  
[ It has been a while since any proper guests have graced my floors. ]

Once again ignoring the individual strings of dialogue, you look over to Toriel’s now outstretched arm. You hesitantly reach for her hand, before stopping and pulling back. Toriel crouches down and puts her hands in her lap.

[ Do no worry my chi- ]

“Could you not call me that?”

Toriel seems taken aback.

“C-could you n-no-not call me ‘your child’? I… I’m not exactly comfortable with you calling me that.”

Toriel pauses for a few moments before nodding.

[ Okay. How does ‘Young One’ sound? ]

You ponder the thought. It was admittedly better, but it still seemed… too familiar. Sure, Toriel did give off major ‘Mom’ vibes, but you literally just met her. However, giving her your name would be even more personal. So, you choose the lesser half of the dilemma and nod.

“I… I like that.”

Toriel nods and stands.

[ Now, young one, we have a lot of explaining to do on both of our parts. ]  
[ Allow me to guide you through the catacombs. ]

She snaps with both hands, creating a spark, which erupted into a tiny, flicking flame. She smiles, offering one to you. Now, you wouldn’t consider yourself a pyro, but something about this flame made you want to go close to it, to touch it, to hold it. You gingerly take the small flame in your cupped hands, preparing to wince at the pain. But it doesn’t come. It rests warmly in your grasp, floating an inch or two above your hands.

_Ah. Fire doesn’t hurt. That’s new._

You shrug it off and look up to Toriel.

“I’m ready.”

Toriel smiles and gives a nod before walking into the darkness, her fire and yours flaring up to accommodate for the lack of light. Naturally, you follow her into the darkness, walking through another doorway.

_How much weirder could this honestly get?_

You wouldn’t believe your future self, even if they answered truthfully to that question.


	3. CH 3: WELCOME HOME

The first thing that graces your eyes as you walk through the doorway, discounting the fresh light illuminating the first room of what you can only assume to be the Ruins, is a lot of purple. A whole lot of purple.

The room is wide, and a few times as long. The walls, floor, and ceiling of the place is made of bricks. Bright purple bricks. Cracks occasionally grace the grout and linings of some bricks, indicating this place’s apparent age.

_Well, this place ain’t called ‘the Ruins’ for nothing._

You look forward, your eyes slowly adjusting to the light. Your gaze is met with a light gray staircase flanking the left and right, then reconvening at the top. They connect to a strip of stone that leads to a doorway. There’s a bed of leaves resting between the stairs. In front of that bed, there’s a ring of leaves surrounding something peculiar.

A small four-pointed star rests in the center of the leaf ring. It flickers and flashes, lighting up the room. Toriel seems to pay it no mind, but the opposite could be said for you. You’re drawn to the light, reaching out a hand to touch it.

**> (The shadow of the Ruins looms above, filling you with DETERMINATION.)  
> (HP fully restored.)**

_That’s… convenient._

You look to the stairs, where Toriel is patiently waiting for you. Unbeknownst to you, she’s seen many humans interact with seemingly nothing like this in that exact same spot. You hurriedly climb the stairs lagging behind Toriel only a little bit.

**(Small A/N: I’m going to skip the descriptions of some, if not most, puzzles in the Ruins. Sorry if you wanted in-depth explanations, but that would make this chapter way too long.)**

Once you both venture through the doorway, Toriel speaks.

[ Welcome to your new home, young one. ]  
[ Allow me to show you how these Ruins operate. ]

She proceeds to click down four buttons on the ground, then clicks a nearby lever.

[ The ruins are a series of rooms, corridors, and catacombs that were built with puzzles and traps laid into them. One must solve these puzzles to advance through the Ruins. Please adjust yourself to the sights and mechanics of them. ]

As she flips the lever, the door that you hadn’t noticed before now swung open with a deafening thud. Toriel smiles softly and beckons toward herself. You follow her through the now open doorway. The plaque on the wall draws your attention, but you keep your face forward. Toriel seems competent enough and familiar enough with the Ruins to guide you, so you feel… neutral about her leading you.

The next room was a simple lever puzzle. Even though Toriel had labeled the switches, you noticed that the ground has a lighter path, which led to the correct levers. Toriel beams with a proud smile as you flip the correct levers. The spikes guarding the door and preventing you from advancing now retracted, prompting Toriel to praise you. It felt nice, but that didn’t allow you to lower your guard. The two of you walk through the now clear doorway, finding yourselves in a room with a dummy. No obvious puzzle was afoot here. Toriel broke the small silence that had fallen between you two.

[As a human living in the UNDERGROUND, monsters may attack you.]  
[You will need to be prepared for this eventuality. Especially with that flower…]

Toriel’s voice takes on a hint of malice and grit. She didn’t seem to like Flowey. Then again, who in their right mind would?

[However, the process is simple.]  
[Whenever you should encounter a monster, you will enter a FIGHT.]

You nod along, realizing this information may be prevalent very soon.

[While in a FIGHT, try to strike up some friendly conversation.]  
[This should come with the goal of stalling for time until I can assist in resolving the conflict.]

Toriel places a hand above her chest and smiles. She’s protective, and it shows. But not overbearing. You’re old enough to handle yourself, and she seems to recognize that fact.

[In spite of this, I will not always be around to come to your aid. This inevitability will prompt you to take matters in your own hands.]  
[But, for simplicity’s sake, let’s stop that train of thought there. At least for the time being, that is.]

Toriel leads you out of the room, radiating what can only be described as ‘mom energy’. You can’t help but softly grin as she leads you through the next puzzle. One part of the room has a light path in the ground, and a hall leading to presumably the second part. It seems simple enou-

**> Froggit attacks!**

_Wh-what? Froggit? What’s goi-_

Toriel’s words come back to you as you look around. It was like the box before, with Flowey, but different. You had four button prompts under the original text that lay below the box.

**> ** **❤** **FIGHT** **  
> ACT  
> ITEM  
> MERCY**

You look up, seeing what you presume to be a Froggit. They’re bathed in the white color that once illuminated Flowey. They seem… wary of you, but not afraid. You look at your name. It’s sat to the left of your LV indicator. Then you look back to the buttons. You move the heart to ACT, seeing as it’s the most likely to hold conversation options. Once you mentally confirm your choice, more words pop up.

**> ** **❤** **Check** **  
> Compliment  
> Threat**

_Friendly conversation. That’s what Toriel said._

You select ‘Compliment’ and speak.

“You look really nice today.”

It was something simple and casual. Just a passing compliment.

**> Froggit didn’t understand what you said, but was flattered anyway.**

Before anything else could happen, Toriel slides into view. She delivers the strongest death glare in recorded history, prompting the Froggit to quickly glance away and slide out of view.

**> YOU WON!  
> You earned 0 XP and 0 gold.**

You ignore the congratulatory text, watching the color of the world fade back in. Toriel beams at you, resuming her guiding responsibility. She walks you through the self-retracting spikes and to the next room.

The next few puzzles were a breeze. A long corridor proved no challenge, even when Toriel sped ahead of you and hid behind the only pillar in the room. After the test on independence, she gives you a CELL PHONE, reminding you that yours is gone. You frown slightly, but take the new cell. No offense to Toriel, but it makes a Nokia look high-tech. But a phone is a phone.

Toriel speeds off, attending to some business she has to attend to. You continue down the ruins, making your way through the puzzles and random encounters. Whimsun prove to be easy ‘wins’, as they flee the FIGHT once you speak half of a word. Froggit are satiated by simple compliments. Thanks to a rather friendly one, you learn about MERCY and ACTing. Whenever you encounter a star, you make sure to have your HP restored.

After Toriel’s amusing call questioning your preference between Butterscotch and Cinnamon, you advance further.

The further puzzles proved to be difficult, involving much trial and error. For some reason, a rock had decided to give you sass. Exploring further into the ruins you come across a ghost.

[ zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz… ]  
[ zzzzzzzzzzzzzz… ]  
[ zzzzzzzzzz… ]  
[ (are they gone yet) ]  
[ zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz… ]

**> (This ghost keeps saying ‘z’ out loud repeatedly, pretending to sleep.)  
> Move it with force?**

You look confusedly at the prompt. You gauge the distance that the ghost is taking up and take a few steps back. You get a nice running start before leaping over the ghost. A quaint little interaction with the ghost follows, who’s named Napstablook, in which you compliment his sense of style. Dapperblook really is a fitting name for the top-hat centric look.

Once you move on, you find a spider bake sale. After purchasing a donut and handing over your proceeds that all go to real spiders, and putting said donut in your pockets for later, you venture forth.

More conversations with Froggits ensue, which is followed by ‘pocket space’ advice from Toriel over the phone. You giggle once you hang up and continue along the path. More puzzles ensue, as is the nature of the Ruins, and you take a breather at a fairly simple one. The shifting perspective puzzle makes you think, but doesn’t break your brain. Once you fend off a few Migosps, Looxes, and Vegetoids, you finally reach what seems to be the end of the ruins.

You walk through the doorway, being met with a black tree and a familiar voice.

[ Oh dear, that took longer than I thought it would. ]

Toriel rounds the tree, seeing you at the door.

[ Oh, young one, I did not expect to see you here so soon! Ah, my surp- ]

She cuts herself off.

“Your what?”

Toriel sighs, albeit contentedly, and smiles at you. Despite your age and impressive stature (a whopping 5’ 7”), Toriel still somewhat towers over you, resting comfortably at a probable 6’ 1”.

[ Well, I suppose I cannot hide it any longer. ]  
[ Come, young one. ]

Toriel backtracks and turns, leading you to a house. Its walls have a similar brick structure to the walls of the Ruins, allowing it to blend in well with its surroundings. Leaves adorn the front of the house, save for a space in front of the door. You smile and assure Toriel that you’re right behind her.

_Might as well give myself that extra boost._

You approach the star in front of the left window and raise your hand to it,

**> Seeing such a cute, tidy house in the RUINS fills you with DETERMINATION.**

You grin at the apt description. You look up at the house and dismiss the text box. The first few steps you took with Toriel were nervous ones, but soon, the nervous energy re-imagined itself into just that.

Determination.

You walk into the house, feeling like you’re being welcomed into a home of sorts.

Your home.


	4. CH 4: ADULT INDEPENDENCE (PLUS A LITTLE MAGIC)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slightly longer chapter this time. This is more of a transition from you being a 16-year-old to you being a 19-year-old, as well as some exposition. I hope you enjoy the changes in the story that I'm making, but keep non-constructive criticism to a minimum. I'm writing this for me, and sharing it with you. Thank you all for reading so far. Many more chapters will be released through the summer and fall of this year, so keep this story in the back of your head!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Bolded) > Text. = Menu Text/Interactive Text  
> (Italicized) Text. = Inner Thoughts  
> “(Bolded or Italicized) Text.” = Your/Frisk’s Dialogue  
> [ (Bolded or Italicized) Text. ] = Monster Dialogue  
> ‘(Bolded or Italicized) Text.’ = Sign Language

_Note to Self: DO NOT let Toriel get carried away with magic training._

You hobble back into the house, having bruises cover your body. Toriel’s magic training sessions are no joke. Your hands, despite having gone through this regiment many times, are still warm, achy, and sore. You can barely move your fingers enough to grasp the doorknob to your bedroom. How did this all start?

Oh yeah. You were stupid enough to fall for Toriel’s motherly sweetness.

**Around 3 Years Ago…**

You walk into the house, feeling the warmth of the heater wash over you. Toriel stands in the foyer, beaming excitedly. The smell of sweet butterscotch, fierce cinnamon, and warm pie crust wafts to your nose. Your mouth instantly salivates at the implication, no, the mere _thought_ of eating that delicious smelling pie.

[ Is something catching your nose’s attention, young one? ]

You snap out of the stupor that phenomenal smell had put you in.

“Oh, uhm… Yeah. Is that… cinnamon?”

[ Why yes, my child, it is. ]

Toriel makes her way towards the kitchen. Out of curiosity you follow her. As the smell draws nearer, your eyes flutter and your stomach starts to beg for food.

“It smells divine.”

[ It tastes better. ]

That didn’t help.

**Present Day**

_Ever since that day… While I can’t say I’m ungrateful – because I’m not – it’s been tough. Not just physically, but mentally. Toriel may be a good teacher, but she’s rigorous as hell._

You think about the last few years. They were probably the best few years of your life. As you lay in bed, your hands drift to your bare stomach. Muscles you hadn’t used much were shaped and exercised, but hidden underneath a few layers of thin fat that gave you just the slightest amount of chub. You were content with your body, especially your… other assets.

While your chest has always been on the slightly larger side, it’s never been in the way. Your breasts weren’t big enough to warrant back problems, or even any soreness from holding them up. Bras were easy to find and your size was common enough. Running was a _bit_ of an issue, but sports bras and proper posture corrected that issue fairly easily.

Your hips… well, they were wide-ish. You admittedly had a nice hourglass figure. One you had gotten more than a few compliments on back when you attended high school.

But that wasn’t the only thing you were happy with.

You raise your hand and snap your fingers, opening your hand immediately afterwards. A small flame ignites and rests just above your open palm. Ever since Toriel taught you what you so aptly dubbed ‘Firestarter Magic’, you’ve grown to sort of depend on it. Not completely, but there are somethings that having magic makes pretty damn easy. Like cooking. You don’t need to waste energy when you have mana. Or whatever the monsters called their magic resource.

_Little flames…_

You clench your hand as red fire erupts around your now closed fist. The heat barely tickles your hand as a steady crimson flame envelops it, bathing the room in a red light. Your Determination Magic (or ‘Persistent Inferno’ Magic, as you called it) was a fairly recent development. Sadly, it sputters out, indicating your lack of mana from today’s activities.

_… turn into large infernos._

You let your arm flop against your stomach as you relax. The last few years in the ruins have been interesting. You turned nineteen years old a month and a half ago, so that marks a little over three years that you’ve been down here. The monsters of the Ruins have come to know you as ‘Mini Toriel’ or even ‘The Second Flame’. You giggle at the nicknames. It’s pretty obvious which one was given to you by the Migosps.

The training had started a few months after you first entered Toriel’s house. You had gotten curious and asked Toriel if she could try and show you magic. She agreed and gave you a few lessons, along with some physical training to keep your body up with your magical abilities. While even now you’re still a novice, you can hold your own against strong monsters in spars.

Apart from your magical and physical exercise and training, life in the Ruins has been peaceful. Home was a nice place to explore, and the small purple city had the basic amenities. A grocery and clothing store, some small farms to support local businesses, random shops and restaurants, and the ever-important Spider Bake Sale. You remember every weekend in the first month, you’d drag Toriel into the Ruins to buy a gallon of Spider Cider. Once she tried to criticize you, but you reminded her she eats snails on the regular. You giggle and relax further.

However, as you drift off to sleep, the negging thought that seemed to haunt you for months now made its nightly appearance.

_What if there’s more than just the Ruins…?_

**3 Days Later…**

“Is there anything beyond the Ruins?”

Toriel nearly chokes on her tea, barely keeping it in her mouth as she sputters and swallows. Looks like she hadn’t been expecting that.

[ M-my child, you shouldn’t spring such heavy questions on me like that whilst I’m drinking! ]

Your head tilts and you raise your eyebrow slightly.

“How is that a heavy question?”

Toriel’s eyes flash wide for a moment before they return to their normal size. Toriel has tells, and that was one of them.

[ W-well, my child, the Ruins… well it’s been my home for many years, and- ]

“That’s not an answer, Toriel, and you know it.”

She flinches slightly at the use of her name. You usually address her as Mom now, considering how close you are. That and she flinches because you can be really intimidating if necessary.

[ F-fair p-p-point, my child… ]

You nod, awaiting an explanation. And with a quick look into your eyes, Toriel knows that you aren’t backing down.

_Adult Independence for the win!_

She starts explaining the history of monsters, from the very beginning. How monsters had been at a very long war with the humans of the surface, one that lasted ages. The war ended around a hundred years before you were born, but at a cost. All of monsterkind was locked underneath Mt. Ebott, into what’s known as the Underground. Monsters ended up moving through the Underground, founding Home. The city eventually proved to be less than ideal, eventually, so the monsters expanded their territory. Beyond the ruins lies Snowdin Forest, a long and wide berth of trees that have many winding paths leading to Snowdin Town, the bridge between the Snowdin region and the Waterfall region. While Snowdin was a happy and snowy forest, Waterfall was a collection of vast caverns filled with streaming water, mushrooms, and star-like gems. Waterfall led to Hotland, a region of flowing magma, boiling hot stones, and the CORE. The CORE was developed by an unknown scientist, but was responsible for delivering clean energy to the rest of the Underground. Further beyond that is New Home, where most monsters live their day-to-day. The gray city is nothing short of massive, sporting what Home had in tenfold.

You nod your head as Toriel explains everything. About the search for human SOULs, and the barrier. Admittedly, a small amount of fear creeps into you as you hear that you’re the final piece to the figurative puzzle, but you dismiss it.

_I can handle myself, and Toriel knows it._

[ My child, it is imperative that you listen to me when I say this. It is very dangerous beyond the Ruins. Monsterkind may be less than accepting of your presence. ]

You nod.

“I want to leave the Ruins.”

A few moments pass, the silence suffocating. Then, Toriel sighs and laughs.

[ I knew I couldn’t keep you here for long. Go. ]

Your smile grows wide as you nod your head.

[ You’ve proven through extensive magical and physical training that you’re capable of handling yourself. And your heart of gold will aid you in many endeavors. ]

You nod more.

[ My child, you have my blessing to leave the Ruins. ]

You take a breath and solidly nod. You’re going to leave ASAP. While the Ruins isn’t a bad place, there’s apparently so much more to the Underground than you anticipated. And you’re very curious about it all. You look at Toriel, Determination flaring and making your eyes glow red.

“I promise you that I’ll be careful.”

[ You better, or else I won’t open up the Ruins to you again. ]

You and Toriel laugh over that. Something tells you that somewhere and somewhen else, this was handled poorly…

**A Week Later…**

[ Are you ready, my child? ]

Your backpack’s weight indicates that yes, you are ready. You nod your head and beam up at Toriel. You’ve been shaking with anticipation for the past few days, waiting for the chance to finally explore past the Ruins.

[ Now my child, remember always- ]

“Always look for any peaceful monsters willing to give me passage through the forest. Spend as minimal time as possible in large snow poffs. Don’t fall off of a cliff. I know Mom, we’ve been over this a million times.”

[ And we’ll go over it a million more until your Determination stops giving me sass. ]

You once more share a laugh with Toriel. Then, a small smile graces your features as you walk up to her and envelop her in a strong hug.

“Thank you Toriel, for everything.”

Toriel is surprised at this, but returns the hug quickly.

[ No, my child, thank _you_ for putting up with an old lady like me for three years. ]

You smile and separate from the hug, beaming.

“You’re welcome.”

Toriel feigns offense and lightly smacks your arm.

[ How rude! I thought I raised you better than this! ]

You share one final giggle before Toriel extends a hand.

[ Good luck. ]

You take her hand in yours and shake it firmly.

“I won’t need it.”

She opens the large door in front of the both of you, giving way to a long hallway. You walk forward, not looking back. This is a new stage of your life.

You press on through the hallway, passing through the next doorway, only to see… him.

[ Clever. ]  
[ Verrrryyy clever.]

Flowey’s smug grin disgusts you. Toriel said to pay him no mind, but it’s kinda hard to do that when he’s being such a little bi-

_Calm down… You can handle a badmouthing little flower. Especially now._

[ You think you’re really smart, don’t you? ]  
[ In this world, it’s kill or be killed. ]

_That phrase is stupid._

[ So you were able to live by your own rules and live peacefully for a while. ]  
[ You spared the life of a single person. ]

Flowey’s grin grows more sadistic in appearance as his eyes widen and while dots appear in them. He doesn’t scare you anymore.

[ Hee hee hee… ]  
[ I bet you feel really great. ]  
[ You didn’t kill anybody this time. ]

That comment ticks you off, but you keep your cool.

[ But what will you do when you meet a relentless killer? ]

That’s a good question. One you have an answer for. Red fire flares outwards as you spread your arms. Two walls of flame, one on each side of Flowey, illuminate the room. You see fear flicker on Flowey’s face before it merged back to that smug grin of his.

[ So, you’ve gotten stronger… ]  
[ Hmph. Well, let's hope you know how to use that strength. ]  
[ Your life may depend on it. ]

Flowey’s face grows out of the flower’s white center, expanding and growing more grotesque. He releases a high-pitched cackle that grates your eardrums and deeply annoys you. But that’s all he does, as afterwards, he slips back underneath the soil and disappears.

_Bitch._

You walk forward, making your way to the large purple doorway just past Flowey’s spot of grass. You open the large violet door (with some difficulty) and step outside into the Snowdin Forest. Pushing back your thoughts about Flowey, you venture forth.

_Let’s do this._


	5. CH 5: SNOW-WHITE BONES

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Bolded) > Text. = Menu Text/Interactive Text  
> (Italicized) Text. = Inner Thoughts  
> “(Bolded or Italicized) Text.” = Your/Frisk’s Dialogue  
> [ (Bolded or Italicized) Text. ] = Monster Dialogue  
> ‘(Bolded or Italicized) Text.’ = Sign Language

As you walk out into the winter air of Snowdin, you begin to thank Toriel silently for teaching you Firestarter Magic. Not half a second after you emerge the still, albeit warm, air of the Ruins, you’re hit with a blast of spine-chilling gust of wind from the Snowdin forest.

“HOLY SHIT, THAT’S COLD!”

While you’re all bundled up, courtesy of your slightly overbearing goat-mom, the cold smacks you straight in the face. You quickly bring your hands up to your face and snap a few times, starting a small natural flame. Your hands come together and cup the flame, protecting the heart, yet exposing the licks to enough air to stay stable.

_Okay, this is fine._

You look around and examine the path in front of you. The snow-covered walkway lies in between a valley of tall trees making up the dense Snowdin Forest. As you gaze into the wood, your line of sight doesn’t reach far, as the treetops block out almost all of the light from the luminous crystals dotting the massive cave ceiling. It would be beautiful if you weren’t slowly losing feeling in your nose.

“One step at a time… that’s all you need.”

You venture forth, a familiar feeling creeping up your spine. You’re being watched. Meticulously analyzed and studied. Each of your steps is being counted, and you can feel it. You start to shiver, only in part from the cold.

As you press on, you step over a large branch lying on the ground. Walking forward, you can’t help but think about said branch. Judging by the size and shape of it, you’d have some minor difficulty picking it up off of the ground. It’s long, taking up most of the path’s width with its length. Probably weighs abou-

SNAP!!!

You whip your head around, facing the direction you had come from. The branch was completely snapped in half, splinters dotting the area around it. The shards of wood look like they had been brutally exploded from the main body of the branch.

Terror rips through your body as you turn tail and run into the unexplored path. Your feet crunch in the snow as you sprint down the path. The winter-esque air stings at your face. You briefly hear the crunching of snow behind you, but you don’t care. You keep running, barreling forward. That is, until you trip over some snow and get sent tumbling. You come to a stop, laying down on your front. You scramble up and look forward.

You’re facing a gate, with bars far too wide to actually keep any reasonably sized humanoid figure out. A small wooden bridge goes through the gate, leading further down the path. Your eyes focus on the space between the bars and over the bridge. That’s your chance. Your only escape. You take a step forward, but…

Crunch…

Footsteps slowly approach you from behind.

Crunch… crunch… crunch…

You’re frozen in fear, unable to move.

_SHIT, SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!!!_

[ H u m a n . ]  
[ D o n ‘ t y o u k n o w h o w t o g r e e t a n e w p a l ? ]

Your mind goes into overdrive. This isn’t like Flowey. This person’s tone is more innocent, yet more fear-instilling, if that’s possible. The voice is deep and slow, making each word punctuated and emphasized.

[ T u r n a r o u n d a n d s h a k e m y h a n d . ]

You try to analyze your situation as best you can. You’re frozen with fear at a bridge, with a monster behind you wanting to shake your hand. They know you’re a human, they referred to them self as ‘a new pal’, and they want a handshake. There are so many ways this can go wrong. But, considering they haven’t entered a FIGHT with you yet, they aren’t immediately hostile.

Taking a small breath, you turn around, and look at the figure’s outstretched hand. Your terror is limiting your sight, giving you pseudo tunnel vision. You quickly take their hand into yours.

PPPPPPPPFFFFFFFFTTTTTTBBBBBBBB!!!

You blink, looking at the figure’s hand. Their palm is covered by a whoopie cushion, and it’s currently letting out a massive fart.

[ heheh… the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. ]

You look up, your eyes meeting empty eye sockets with glowing orbs. The skull-like face in front of you is round and pudgy, with a permanent smile on it. Their blue jacket covers most of his upper body, save for a wide strip on their front, revealing their ribs and stomach cavity. Their black sports shorts hang just at their knees, exposing their tibia and fibula. Their feet are covered by white socks, extending up to their ankles.

[ it’s ALWAYS funny. ]  
[ anyways, you’re a human, right? ]

You mentally blank, due to their shift in tone. One minute, they intimidate you better than a certain psychotic flower; then the next minute, they’re speaking super casually, as if Asgore isn’t hunting for human SOULs.

“Uh… y-yeah.”

You pull your hand away from theirs. Their actual hand is covered by a white mitten. If you had to assume, you’d guess their hand is as bony as the rest of their body.

They bark out a small chuckle, snapping you out of your momentary fixation.

[ that’s hilarious. ]

They look to you and smile… or at least, they smile more.

[ i’m sans. ]  
[ sans the skeleton. ]

You nod, introducing yourself as well. Sans explains how they’re supposed to be on patrol for humans, as per King Asgore’s orders to the Royal Guard. Since Sans’ brother, Papyrus, is a Guardsman-in-Training, Sans was convinced to help out. He further explains that he doesn’t care about that whole mess, but that Papyrus is apparently a maniac and is obsessed with capturing a human. You shudder at the thought.

[ hey, actually, i think that’s him over there. ]  
[ i have an idea. come over here. ]

Sans leads you past the gate and into a clearing. There’s a little hut, which Sans encourages you to hide behind. You follow his suggestion and duck behind the counter, keeping an ear out.

[ sup, bro? ]

[ YOU KNOW WHAT “SUP,” BROTHER! ]

You flinch at the voice. It’s loud and very strenuous on the ears. He sounds like Skeletor from the old He-Man cartoons, only slightly more… realistic.

[ IT’S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN’T… ]  
[ RECALIBRATED. ]  
[ YOUR. ]  
[ PUZZLES! ]

You can’t help but silently giggle at the word choice coupled with the apparent anger it brings Papyrus. Sans is obviously lazy, probably too lazy, and it’s already seeming like Papyrus is… the opposite.

You listen in on the brothers’ conversation, alarmed at how much information is relayed. Papyrus’ motives for becoming a Guardsman (he’s lonely and wants some friends), Sans’ apparent love for puns (he makes several during the interaction), and the fact that there are more puzzles.

That last fact worries you.

[ ok, you can come out now. ]

Despite the severity of your situation, you resist the urge to make a ‘coming out of the closet’ joke. You emerge from the hut and walk over to Sans.

[ you oughta get going. he might come back soon. and if he does… ]

A worried look flashes across your face, but the next sentence dismisses it.

[ … you’ll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes. ]

You sigh and nod, wishing Sans farewell. A snap and a breath later, a small flame floats in the palm of your hand, warming your mitted hands and uncovered face. As you begin to walk away, Sans speaks again.

[ actually, hey… ]  
[ hate to bother ya, but can you do me a favor? ]

You turn and cock your head, putting your free hand on your hip.

“Yeah, depends on the favor.”

[ i was thinking… my brother’s been kind of down lately… ]  
[ he’s never seen a human before. and seeing you might just make his day. ]

“You want me to get captured?”

Sans chuckles and pulls one of his hands out of his jacket pocket, mimicking your stance.

[ nah. just play along with his puzzles. ]  
[ he puts a lot of time and effort into them, and seeing them go to waste really gets him down in the dumps. ]  
[ so it’d mean the world to me if you just humored him. ]

You scoff out a laugh.

“Sorry Sans, but I’m not a fan of getting caught by a Royal Guardsman and being dragged to the king.”

[ you won’t have to worry about that. as much as he tries to be, papyrus isn’t dangerous in the slightest. ]

You nod, having no words in regard to that statement. It’s true that he seems… naïve and childish. He probably wouldn’t hurt a fly, despite knowing full well he could.

“I’ll think about it.”

A small smile graces your face as Sans nods. His hands retreat back to his jacket pockets.

[ thanks a million. i’ll be up ahead. ]

He turns around and walks back the way you came, towards the Ruins door.

“Uh… Sans?”

[ don’t worry, kid. i know a shortcut. ]

He looks back and winks before walking further down the path, eventually disappearing in the cool fog that now hangs over the forest.

“I’m not a kid…”

You grumble to yourself at Sans’ comment towards you. But, choosing not to dwell on it, you press on.

_Snowdin, here I come…_


	6. CH 6: BONE-RATTLING JAPES

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OH MY GOODNESS, I'M SO SORRY FOR HAVING Y'ALL WAIT THIS LONG!!! Life and stuff happened and writer's block hit me like a bus. A large and fast bus. This chapter was really hard to write because of Papyrus. But, here it is. It's around 2k words long, so enjoy the slightly longer chapter! Once again sorry for havin' y'all wait! Updates will (maybe) be weekly from now on, as I may be starting another fanfic! It'll be here, but not on my Wattpad, so if you want to see it, tell me in the comments and stick around!!!
> 
> \- with lots of care, GarbzLarbz

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Bold) > Text. = Menu Text/Interactive Text  
> (Italicized) Text. = Inner Thoughts  
> “(Bold or Italicized) Text.” = Your/Frisk’s Dialogue  
> [ (Bold or Italicized) Text. ] = Monster Dialogue  
> ‘(Bold or Italicized) Text.’ = Sign Language

[ SO, AS I WAS SAYING ABOUT UNDYNE, ]

You freeze in your tracks at Papyrus’ voice. You had been zoning out while checking out the Tough Gloves now adorning your hands, and had unwittingly walked further down the path.

You look up and meet Papyrus’ eyes. Well, your eyes meet his eye sockets. He looks distinctly different from Sans. Almost the Yang to Sans’ Yin. His bone structure – _Wow that was bad…_ – was tall and lanky, as opposed to Sans and his low and wide figure. His arms were covered by black tights and his hands are concealed by red… oven mitts? A white chest plate and shoulder pads cover his upper torso, while his… spine is exposed to the wind. His pelvis is thankfully covered by a blue Speedo with the logo covered by blue Sharpie. His boots are a brilliant crimson, matching the hue of his mitts and scarf that lies on his neck like a cape.

He looks to Sans as Sans looks to you, then Sans looks at Papyrus as Papyrus turns his gaze towards you. The exchange repeats several times and speeds up, until they both suddenly turn away from you. They whisper as loudly as possible as they discuss your presence.

[ SANS!! ]  
[ OH MY GOD!! ]  
[ IS THAT… ]

He pauses dramatically as he slowly turns his head to you. You give a shy wave as an equally shy smile graces your face.

[ A HUMAN!?!?!??!?! ]

They turn around and look at you. Sans nods to a small snow-covered rock just a few feet behind you.  
  
[ uhhhh… ]  
[ actually, i think that’s a rock. ]

Papyrus glares at Sans, and you have to suppress a giggle.

[ NO, YOU BONEHEAD!! IN FRONT OF THE ROCK!! ]

Sans looks to you.

[ oh, you mean the human? ]

[ RRRAGGGGHHH!!! ]

Papyrus stomps in the snow for a moment before composing himself with a deep breath. Then, his determined gaze lands on you.

[ YOU!! HUMAN!!! ]  
[ YOU SHALL NOT PASS THIS AREA!!!]  
[ FOR I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE THE ONE TO CAPTURE YOU!!! ]  
[ PREPARE YOURSELF HUMAN!!! ]  
[ NYEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH!!!! ]

They turn their attention to Sans.

[ BROTHER! HOW WAS MY INTRODUCTION?!? ]

You snicker as Sans simply gives him an ‘ok hand’ in response.

[ YES!!! I’LL BE SO POPULAR; I JUST KNOW IT!!! ]  
[ NYEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE!! ]

You and Sans watch Papyrus dash off while doing his signature laugh.

“That went better than expected.”

[ you’re telling me. ]

You sigh and meet Sans’ gaze.

[ don’t worry kid. i’ll keep an eye socket out for ya. ]

“I’m not a…”

You look at Sans after you blink, but he’s gone.

_What the…_

You look all around you and find a distinct lack of Sans.

_Note to self: Sans can teleport._

You trudge along the path, grumbling about how you’re nineteen goddamn years-old, and are NOT a kid.

You venture forth, treading across the frozen grass in the Snowdin Forest. As your journey takes you through the icy landscape of the woods and plateaus, you encounter many monsters, each having a simple way to show them some MERCY and convince them you aren’t a threat. However, one of them stood out.

One of the more canid monsters, Doggo, is nearly blind. He has trouble picking up things that aren’t in movement. In the battle box, his attacks had a blue hue rather than the stark-white that you had grown used to. It only took a few tries to recognize that he couldn’t hit you if you stood still. After that, it was a simple pat to the head that let you SPARE him and move forward.

[ GAAH!!! YOU’RE SUCH A LAZYBONES!! ]  
[ YOU WERE NAPPING ALL NIGHT!!! ]

“A-Actually… that’s called sleeping.”

Papyrus and Sans turn their skulls toward you, processing the comment.

[ ‘sup ki- ]  
[ HUMAN!!!!! ]

Sans chuckles as you stifle a small snort.

[ YOU’VE FINALLY ARRIVED!! IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO FACE ONE OF THE VARIOUS PUZZLES OF MINE!!! ]

He pauses for dramatic effect. The air seems to chill as Papyrus’ face becomes masked in shadow (due to him leaning forward slightly).

[ THE ELECTRIC MAZE OF INVISIBILITY!!! ]  
[ NYEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH!!!! ]

As Papyrus explains the rules of the maze, you sneak a glance at Sans. He quickly signs something to you. In ASL. Makes sense considering you are in the United States… technically.

‘Low voltage. Shouldn’t even sting.’

You nod and direct your attention back to Papyrus. His inviting gaze is signal enough for you to move forward. You take a few steps and see Papyrus get electrocuted. You halt and tense up, seeing Sans do the same. Papyrus jolts about, before shaking it off. You and the shorter skeleton breathe out a slight sigh of relief.

[ SANS!!! THIS ORB SHOULDVE SHOCKED THE HU- ]  
[ . . . ]  
[ OH. ]

Papyrus facepalms as he trudges through the maze. He drags his feet slightly, clearly outlining a path in which you can take. As he gets to you, you truly realize how tall he is. He stands somewhere between you and Toriel, probably a good 5’ 10”, or maybe 5’ 11”.

He hands you the orb, which you shyly accept. He walks back through the maze, taking the same path.

[ OKAY, NOW YOU MAY PROCEED!! ]

You nod as you simply trace Papyrus’ steps, leaving him a bit flabbergasted. Once out of the maze, you turn to him and return the orb. His face reads one of disbelief and a bit of annoyance.

[ YOU SLIPPERY SNAIL!!! ]  
[ I SHOULD’VE EXPECTED SUCH CUNNING FROM A HUMAN!!! ]

You blush slightly at the comment.

“Thanks, Papyrus.”

[ YOU’RE WELCOME! ]  
[ HOWEVER, MOVING BACK TO THE JAPES AT HAND, THE NEXT ONE WON’T BE SO EASY!!! ]

He makes his retreat, moonwalking down the path before sprinting.

“Sooooooo…”

You turn your head to Sans, then nod it to where Papyrus made his escape.

“Is he always like this?”

Sans shrugs and chuckles.

[ yup. wouldn’t have it any other way. ]

You laugh as you make pleasant conversation, learning about Papyrus’ Battle Body and how it was made.

_Sans is a good brother._

As you wave goodbye and advance, you take your time playing Ball and chatting with the Nice Cream vendor. The calm and crisp winter air delightfully chills you as you walk forward, re-encountering the two skeletons.

This puzzle was a simple Junior Jumble which you leave on the floor. Papyrus argues with Sans for a moment before asking for your input on which version of the puzzle is more difficult. You give your answer, laughing softly at the conversation that follows. Past that encounter, you meet Lesser Dog, who is satiated by a simple pet. Just like Doggo.

After that pup, you stumble upon Dogamy and Dogaressa. After rolling in some dirt and convincing them you smell like a lost pup, you pet both of them, opening their minds and allowing you to show MERCY.

Following the canine couple, Papyrus and some floor switch puzzles take up a few hours of your time. They are admittedly difficult, having to deal with crossing paths. The next unique puzzle was a bit anticlimactic. It was supposed to be a difficult, multicolored, completely random puzzle the likes no one has seen before. What actually occurred was long explanation followed by an intense build up, leading to a lackluster ending. At least you got to see Papyrus effectively enter a stage of ‘done with life to the n’th degree’.

The next area held…

_Oh, its Lesser Dog!_

You frown at the Pomeranian’s name.

_They aren’t inherently ‘lesser’ than anything else. So… I’m going to call them… Beans!_

The next area held Beans, focusing on a lump of snow as if they were trying to infuse it with their will and conjure forth some grand piece of snow art. Considering how you literally have the ability to snap fire into existence, that doesn’t seem too far of a stretch.

You wave at the cloud-white dog and mosey on down the path, preparing yourself for the next gauntlet of puzzles.

**3 hours later…**

“WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE ICE?!? Okay, calm down. Just breathe. One. Last. Try.”

This puzzle was easily the most frustrating. You had already tried melting the ice, but it seems even fire magic was no match for Mother Nature herself. You slide along the ice, hitting every X in the perfect order, somehow not losing your balance for what would’ve been the 45th time. Once every X had its spot marked and was transformed into an O, you click the button with your heel and slide forward.

“FINALLY!!! THANK FUCK!!!”

You stomp forward, breezing through the rooms. Any monster that crossed your path dared not enter a FIGHT with you, due to the fact that you emanate an aura stronger than Toriel’s and angrier than the incarnation of fury themselF.

Suddenly, your SOUL gets sucked into a FIGHT, the battle screen flashing into view. You glare at whatever had made the mistake of messing with you in this current junction of time.

Then, your heart melts.

The absolute largest, beefiest, most cuddle-worthy Pomeranian soldier that you have ever seen. You read the name presented to you in the ACT menu.

_Greater Dog._

You shake your head.

_Let’s try… HIMBO. Specifically, in all caps._

HIMBO stands before you, and you can’t resist playing with them. Dodging attacks is worth associating this lorge boi.

“You’re an absolute chonker, aren’t you?”

After tiring the dog out and showing them MERCY, you wave them off and move forward.

You walk across the thin wood-and-rope bridge that spans the chasm between two cliffs, gazing apprehensively into the distance. There, on the other side of the bridge, lies the two familiar figures of Sans and Papyrus.

[ HUMAN!!! ]  
[ THIS IS YOUR FINAL AND MOST DANGEROUS CHALLENGE!!! ]

You silently chuckle to yourself.

[ BEHOLD!!! ]  
[ THE _GAUNTLET OF DEADLY TERROR!!!_ ]

Suddenly, gigantic machines (and a Pomeranian hanging on a string) approach you, causing you to jump back.

“HOLY CRAP!!! DUDE, THESE WILL KILL ME!!!”

Papyrus looks at the machines. His face flashes worry, and strangely enough, concern.

[ THAT… IS A GOOD POINT. IF YOU WERE TO DIE AT THE HANDS OF THIS GAUNTLET, YOU COULDN’T BE CAPTURED!!! ]

You sigh, shaking your head. If that’s what it takes for him to stop, then so be it. Your eyes drift up to Papyrus as you see him deactivate the machines. They slink back to wherever they came from, and so does your fear of dying. You give Sans a glare and he shrugs with a smile on his face.

_Cheeky motherfucker…_

You turn to Papyrus with a look. He hadn’t technically apologized for threatening to maim you. And no, agreeing that a giant spear would kill you doesn’t count.

[ WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!? ]  
[ THIS WAS ANOTHER DECISIVE VICTORY FOR THE GREAT PAPYRUS!!! ]

After laughing his signature [ NYEH HEH HEH!!! ], he scampers off into the town behind him.

_Snowdin… wait… is that a-_

[ yeah, it’s a pun. great, isn’t it? ]

You look at Sans. Playful confusion flashes across his face.

[ what? i know the face of someone recognizing a pun when I see it. ]

You roll your eyes and walk forward. But not before Sans reaches out and takes your shoulder in his hand.

[ hey. i don’t know what pap is gonna do next. ]  
[ if I were you, i’d get a good understanding of blue attacks. ]

His serious tone shocks you for a second, his permanent smile somehow seeming somber. You can feel it. Papyrus fully intends on capturing you. That means a FIGHT. You nod, covering his hand with yours.

“He’ll stay safe, Sans. Don’t worry about it.”

Sans’ smile regains the jolly undertone that usually accompanies it.

[ thanks, kid. ]

For once, you don’t mind it. You take your hand off of his as he pulls away himself. You wander into town, waving goodbye to the short comedian.

_Snowdin Town, huh? Let’s see what this place has in store for me…_


	7. ANNOUNCEMENT

Hey y'all! Things are going a bit slow with the fic. I have school and a lot of scheduling issues that might hinder me from writing. The earliest I can promise a chapter is this Sunday at around 9 PM EST/EDT. Thank you for understanding. I love all of your comments and appreciate the Kudos. They give me life and make me so happy. So thank you for enjoying the fic so far! This was meant to just be a summer thing but quickly turned into a passion project of mine. So thank you. So so so much. I love y'all with all of my little writer's heart. So please bear with me and sit tight! And who knows... I might drop a teaser for a new fic soon... But that's all in the future! So, I bid you: adieu.

\- with love, and a lot of headcanons, GarbzLarbz


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